HIGH POINT, N.C., Aug. 27, 2009 – High Point University knows how important it is to support the High Point community, so it seems fitting that students, faculty and staff help support local businesses as well.
Thanks to HPU’s Passport Partners program, a partnership between the university and local businesses, HPU faculty, staff and students spent more than $80,000 using their Passport cards at local businesses during the 2008-09 academic year. The figure does not include the estimated thousands of dollars spent by faculty, staff and students using other methods of payment at the locations.
Students continued to add to that figure over the summer. In July alone, students spent $9,000 at local Passport Partners. That impressive summer figure coincides with the Summer Experience program at HPU, which brought 183 incoming freshmen to town for four weeks to experience college life before the actual start of school.
In addition, during the Summer Experience, as well as the first week of the academic school year, students had the chance to become familiar with the High Point community with the Tour de High Point.
“We go around town in HPU buses and point out our Passport Partners,” says Leslie Smith, campus concierge who heads up the Passport program. “Close to 500 students participate in this each year.”
On the tour this year, students had the opportunity to experience life around High Point, including becoming familiar with HPU’s many Passport partners – Austin’s, Barberitos, Ben & Jerry’s, Carolina’s Diner, Carter Brothers, Chili’s, CiCi’s Pizza, Domino’s Pizza, East Coast Wings & Grill, Firehouse Subs, Giannos, Gotta Love Kim’s Diner, Ham’s Restaurant, Jersey Mike’s Subs, McAlister’s Deli, Moe’s, Panera Bread, Papa John’s Pizza, Quiznos Sub, Sonic, Sumela, AAMCO, Crescent Ford, CVS Pharmacy, Freeman’s Tire, Meg?s Gifts, Poshh boutique, South Beach Sun, The Tan Line and UPS.
“The HPU Passport program creates another revenue source for these businesses,” Smith says. “We have built great relationships between HPU and the local businesses. … We’re thankful to have this partnership with so many local companies.”
At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in a fun environment with caring people. HPU, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a liberal arts institution with 3,700 undergraduate and graduate students from 50 countries and 44 states at campuses in High Point and Winston-Salem. It is ranked by US News and World Report No. 5 among comprehensive universities in the South and No. 1 in its category among up-and-coming schools. Forbes.com ranks HPU in the top 6 percent among “America’s Best Colleges.” HPU was included in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Great Colleges to Work For” 2009 listings. The university offers 68 undergraduate majors, 40 undergraduate minors and seven graduate degree programs. It is accredited by the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference. Visit High Point University on the Web at www.highpoint.edu. Chris DudleyVice President for [email protected]